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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels opened a new volley of attacks on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea earlier this week, posing a dilemma for the United States as it seeks to rein in the fallout of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Three commercial cargo vessels north of the Bab el-Mandeb issued distress calls reporting they were struck each by a ballistic missile fired from Yemen on Sunday, leading a nearby US warship to assist.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney — which was not formally escorting the ships but happened to be nearby — shot down three drones as it raced to answer one distress call after another over the seven-hour string of attacks, Pentagon officials said.
